FitSugar

You Asked: Pulled Calf Muscle?

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:30:00 PDT

Dear Fit,
I overdid it running on the treadmill a couple of nights ago. I ran hard and was in a rush so I didn't stretch or cool down. Then I put my heels back on to go to a cocktail party. When I got home, my right calf was aching. It hurts a bit when I walk and feels really tight. I think I pulled it. What can I do to help it heal quickly? Do I ice it? Do I heat it? I haven't worked out in a couple of days and I miss the exercise.
Thanks,
- Kink in My Calf

Ouch! I hate exercise injuries and feel your pain, though I usually injure my hamstrings. I think it is good that you're staying off your calf. To see how I think you should treat this injury, just

First off, it sounds to me like you strained your calf rather than pulled it. A strained muscle is when the muscle is overstretched while working and develops micro tears. Usually it happens when the muscle is being asked to simultaneously stretch and bear weight, like when running. In a pulled muscle, the size of the tears are larger and are considered partial tears. A pulled muscle is much more painful, and generally with a pulled muscle you feel the pain immediately upon injury, creating an "OMG! What have I just done?" moment. It doesn't sound like that happened your case.

The good news is that strained muscles heal much more quickly pulled muscles. It generally takes about two weeks for a strained muscle to completely repair. Initially you want to ice your strained muscle for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. But after 48 hours, transition to heat in the form of baths or heating pads. The initial icing will help keep down any swelling that has occurred in the muscle, then the subsequent heat promotes healing. To reduce the sensation of pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication.

For healing purposes, the best thing you can do is rest the muscle by avoiding impact activity, like running, and don't try to stretch the muscle until the pain is gone. While I am not sure that wearing heels is what you want to subject your injured calf to, wearing flats with this kind of injury is not beneficial either. You want to keep the heel lifted a bit, so wearing running shoes would be ideal. If that is not your style, you can put a little heel lift in your shoe, but be sure to put one on the non-injured side to keep your legs even. Lifting the heel takes pressure off the calf muscle, and can help during the recovery process.

Once the pain is gone, be sure to stretch and strengthen your calves with some heel raises; I would also do some basic walking before hitting the treadmill again. If you allow the muscle to fully recover, you decrease the chances of reinjuring your calf. A proper warm-up will help prevent injury, too; do some light cardio, then stretch the muscle before running hard. If in two weeks you are still in pain, make an appointment with your doctor to make sure you haven't torn the muscle or tendon.

Sure do hope this helps.

Source

Attention, Brides: If You're Wearing Heels on Your Big Day, Read These Tips

Leta Shy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:28:57 PDT

For many brides, the perfect wedding-day outfit includes a jaw-dropping white gown and a princess-worthy pair of heels. But if you're donning a pair of pumps for your big day, make sure you read these tips to keep your feet happy and healthy.

Stretches and exercises are important: Wearing heels too often can lead to different ailments, like bad posture, bunions, and tendinitis (not to mention the injuries that can happen if your heels cause you to fall), so help combat these problems and embarrassing tumbles down the aisle by regularly doing exercises and stretches that strengthen your ankles, calves, and feet. Here are four types of exercises high-heel wearers should be adding to their routine.

Switch to flats: A recent study found that women who wore high heels for 40 hours a week had permanent changes in their Achilles tendon and calf muscles, leading to muscle fatigue and increased risk of injury. The best solution? Wear flats only or alternate between heels and flats - especially leading up to your big day - so your muscles aren't overused, and your high-heel habit doesn't lead to a painful injury right before your wedding. Stashing a few pairs of flats for you and your bridesmaids to wear later at the reception can be a lifesaver after a full day wearing heels.

Practice postparty relief: The vows have been said, the cake's been cut, and you and your guests have danced the night away. Soothe achy feet the day after your wedding with - you guessed it - even more stretches (not to mention a cooling trick for sore soles). Get our tricks for relieving achy feet after a long night here.

Don't Forget These Stretches After a Run

Leta Shy — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:09:22 PDT

After your run, your legs are probably in need of a good stretch. But it's not all quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Don't forget these areas when stretching after your jog.

Hip flexors: Combat all that forward propelling (and desk sitting) with stretches that open up and loosen those all-important hip flexors. Tight hip flexors can lead to back pain and a limited range of motion, so make sure you incorporate some of these hip flexor stretches into your postrun routine.

IT band: Regular runners know that stretching your iliotibial (IT) band is very important, but if you've never had problems, it's easy to neglect the tendon that runs down the outer side of your leg. Prevent painful IT and knee problems before they happen by keeping your body loose with this standing IT band stretch.

Calves: Calves have the luxury of being among some of the most-used muscles in your body, but many people ignore them after a run, which can lead to an overly tight and inflexible pair. After you finish a run, find a curb or wall and do one of these seven calf stretches regularly.

Toe stretches: Your lower digits can use some attention too. Keep your toes happy and help prevent plantar fasciitis by doing a minute of toe scrunches after your run (or regularly throughout your day).

Besides these often-neglected areas, there are several other important stretches you should be doing to ensure you keep your muscles strong and flexible and prevent injury. Try this postrun stretching sequence after your next jog, or incorporate this yoga sequence for runners into your routine.

How to Deal With Spring Running and Shin Splints

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:57:26 PDT

When Spring weather hits, many runners can't wait to wave goodbye to the treadmill and head to the open road. All that fresh air and gorgeous scenery gives the sense of freedom, but it can also cause a painful sensation in the front of the lower legs. Shin splints are a common ailment for runners switching from the treadmill to the road, and if a runner doesn't take certain precautions, that pain can really put a wrench in their training routine.

Shin splints are small tears in the area where the lower leg muscle attaches to the tibia, aka the shin bone. The tears result from overuse, and since running on pavement taxes your muscles more than a treadmill, many runners complain of shin pain when they first begin outdoor runs. Shin splints often occur because the calf muscle becomes stronger than the tibialis anterior, the muscle on the outside of the shin. Even if the ache isn't that bad, it's still a minor injury. Pushing through the pain could result in more severe tears - an injury that could sideline your running routine altogether.

Keep reading to learn how to prevent shin splints.

Improve Your Running With Squats

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:22:38 PST

Don't skip out on strength training just because you think running is the ultimate form of exercise. Building a little muscle should be part of every runner's cross-training fitness routine. Squats, a classic lower-body move, is great for runners for these four reasons.

Prevent knee injuries: Knee pain is one of the most common injuries runners face. Aside from wearing supportive sneakers and running on softer surfaces, strengthening the muscles around this joint can also reduce your risk of pain and injury. Try these wall squats to strengthen your upper legs.
Increase your speed: Practicing sprinting intervals and negative splits will make you a faster runner, but first and foremost, you need muscular legs to have the ability to propel your body forward with each step. Goddess pose, a form of a wide squat, is a killer move that will have your thighs and booty burning. To target your calves and hamstrings, do this variation that Cameron Diaz uses called the Plié With Calf Raise.

Continue reading for two more reasons runners need to do squats.

High Heels Can Give You Barbie Feet

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:41:45 PST

High heels. You either love them or hate them, but you can't deny they are chic. We love the height boost and illusion of longer legs they offer, but we do realize they're not the best things for our feet. Unfortunately, recent research shows that these lovely shoes may be worse than previously thought.

In a study of longtime high heel wearers, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found wearing heels actually shortens the fibers of the calf muscle, making the Achilles tendon stiffen instead of flex when walking. High heels keep feet in a pointed position, so even when habitual high heel wearers (those who wore heels at least 40 hours a week) slipped off the pumps, their feet were so used to walking with the heels raised that it became the new norm for their muscles and joints - think permanent Barbie feet. The constantly engaged calve suffers from serious muscle fatigue, but switching abruptly from heels to flat shoes, like sneakers, puts stiletto wearers at a greater risk for injury.

Keep reading to find out what you can do to heal your heel-wearing legs.

From the Community: the Best Exercise You Aren't Doing

Fit Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:10:46 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has shared a how-to on an overlooked exercise that everyone should be doing.

Running, cycling, squatting, jumping, curling, crunches, and lunging - you do it all, right? Well, the one move you aren’t doing is probably the one that can keep you doing all those things (and more), pain and injury-free for a lifetime.

What is it? Dorsiflexion. In layperson’s terms, dorsiflexion is the action of the foot that occurs when you pull your toes back toward your shin, engaging the foot and ankle muscles (the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus).

Weak muscles in this part of the leg can cause everything from muscular imbalances to an impaired gait and even tripping and falling (as we age, we lose even more strength in this area, which makes it harder to step properly), says Dr. Yoav Suprun, PT, Dip. MDT, a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, and owner of SOBE Spine in Miami Beach, FL.

Learn what exercises you should be doing to combat these muscle strains, after the break!

RX For Shin Splints: Ice Massage

Susi May — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:39:21 PST

Shin splints are the bane of many new runners. The tight calves that accompany mileage increases can spell pain for the lower leg. If running causes any discomfort, take time off to allow your shin splints to heal. But you need not sit idle on the sidelines while you recuperate: ice massages help, too. A serious runner, my Equinox trainer reminded me of the healing combo of ice and massage to decrease the inflammation around the tibia (anatomy speak for shin), caused by this overuse injury. The technique is simple, but first you need to make the ultimate tool: the icing cup!

Make Your Own Icing Cup
Used in gyms and physical therapy clinics, an icing cup protects your fingers from freezing and provides a perfectly sized contact point for massaging troubled spots. Take six Dixie cups, fill them with water, and freeze. When it comes time to ice, peel back the paper and begin the massage.

The Massage
Starting by your foot, place your icing cup on the outside of your shin, on the tibialis anterior muscle. Making long strokes toward your knee, massage the muscle with an amount of pressure that feels good. Mix up your massage strokes and try small circular patterns, once again starting at the ankle and working up toward the knee. After five minutes of massaging, finish your 20-minute icing cycle with 15 minutes of static icing by placing an ice pack (or frozen peas or corn) on your shin. Aim to massage and ice twice a day.

If you're not up for an ice massage, you can always show your shins some foam roller love. Do keep stretching your calf muscles, and once the pain diminishes try these easy exercises to strengthen the tibialis anterior.

Check Yourself: Running Form To-Do List

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:59:26 PST

Whether you're new to running since Jan. 1 or just trying to find your fitness groove, running can be difficult to love 24/7. When my affection for running wanes, one thing that helps bring back the love is technique. When out for a run, I go through this simple list to check my form. It makes me a mindful runner, which helps not only avoid injury but also helps me find my stride once again.

Before you head out to put this checklist to work, be sure to enter to win a year supply of running shoes from Asics. Nothing motivates more than a new pair of sneaks!

Here's my form checklist, starting with the feet.

Land midfoot, not on the heel. Striking the pavement with your heel naturally puts on the brakes, which slows you down and leaves you prone to injury since it's jarring. Not convinced? Read more about heel striking here.
Keep your ankles relaxed and pick your feet up. Bringing the heel toward the bum to activate the hamstrings - a good thing - while pushing the ground away causes muscles to fatigue more quickly, especially the calf.
Shorten your stride. It's nicer for your knees. Really, it is.
Lean slightly forward. The lean should start at your ankles, not your waist, since bending in the middle can hurt your back and it's also inefficient.

To see what you should be doing with your upper body while running, just keep reading.

Your Winter Workout Woes - Answered!

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:09:05 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

Baby, it's cold outside! But for those of us training, sans gym membership, or just yearning for some fresh air, we can't let the chilly weather keep us from an outdoor workout. If you find your morning runs too cold, have achy joints, or just want to make it through a run without wiping out, we hear you! That's why we asked Dr. Scott Weiss, clinical director and owner of Bodhizone Physical Therapy, your burning cold-weather workout questions. Read on below to see how you can have a successful workout no matter what the weather.

The cold weather makes my joints hurt! What stretches can I do before a workout to stop constantly feeling sore?

If cold weather is making you sore, the worst thing to do is go and stretch since you're more likely to pull a muscle or tear some cartilage. In the cold weather, the key is total body warmth. Spend a little more time warming up, by adding 5 to 10 minutes to your normal warm-up routine. Stretching while your joints are warm will then enhance flexibility and range of motion while also reducing your chance of injury.

Sometimes when I go for a run in the Winter, my toes lose feeling. Why is this happening and how can I fix it?

Most of the time numb toes are a minor circulatory or footwear issue. Try making a fist with your toes, or do some calf raises to get the blood pumping. Once you get home, be sure to elevate your feet to relieve the pressure. If tingling persists, it could be something more serious (like frostbite), and you should contact a physician.

I'm terrified of black ice. What are some tips to avoid it?

Make sure you stay focused on the heel contact portion of the running cycle in icy conditions. Oftentimes, we don't think about how we are landing our feet, and if even slightly unbalanced while landing on ice, you risk falling. If you live in an especially icy area, consider trail shoes, which have a better grip.

Read on for more Winter workout solutions from Dr. Weiss.

More from FITNESS:

• Oops-Proof Your Workout

• Immunity-Boosting Tips to Stay Cold-Free This Winter

• Get the 2012 Best Body Ever Plan